Five running for San Fernando West, each predicts victory

The five candidates contesting the San Fernando West seat wished each other well, but each predicted victory for themselves in the August 10 general election.

They filed their nomination papers at the office at Cipero Street.

Attorney General and former MP for the constituency Faris Al-Rawi told reporters on Friday that he was excited about the election, adding the campaign has been excellent, "with a lot of love and walks.

"I am looking forward to returning into government and I am confident about it.

"That is why I came by myself today. We are in a pandemic and we have to manage ourselves properly," Al-Rawi said as music played from a truck carrying UNC supporters.

His UNC opponent, Sean Sobers, who was accompanied by not only the music truck but also live tassa music, moko jumbies and scores of supporters, had filed his documents earlier.

Yet again Al-Rawi accused "people wearing yellow" of paying people $400 a day to take part in walkabouts. He boasted that the PNM has volunteers.

He highlighted some of the work done under his tenure.

"We have a fair distribution of the very wealthy and the very impoverished. I have spent my time as MP looking after the most vulnerable first while at the same time anchoring solid development in San Fernando which will yield about 15,000 jobs during and after construction.

"San Fernando has been in the care of a thinking MP. Whether it is on the AG work product, the government’s management of covid19 or the constituency development, we have had a very warm reception."

As MP, Al-Rawi said, he accomplished about 30 projects among them Skinner Park, Embacadere development, expansion of street projects and the car park at the hospital.

As AG, people have been thanking him for many things, he said, such as decriminalising marijuana, passing laws to treat with domestic violence, and ensuring criminal charges were laid against high-ranking people perceived to be beyond the law.

The Progressive Party’s leader, Nikoli Edwards, was the last to file, and like the others said there were no hiccups.

"If the saying holds true that the first shall be last and the last shall be first, then my prospect for achieving victory is very high."

Edwards arrived in the rain on a truck. A small group of supporters waved flags and cheered as he entered the building.

He called on electors to pay attention to the candidates' backgrounds and records of representation.

Edwards described Al-Rawi as an absentee MP who had fled San Fernando West.

"He lives in west Trinidad. We need someone who lives in the constituency. Sean is registered to vote in San Fernando East, so he cannot cast a vote for himself."

Referring to the PNM and UNC, Edwards said: "It is not good for our democracy that we only have these two giants in Parliament. We have to have other voices, parties and individuals who can add to the discourse."

That, he said, will make for better legislation and overall a better democracy in TT.

His believes his chances of winning are excellent adding he is qualified and experienced. He served in the Senate.

"I resigned from the Procurement Board to pursue this (politics). I am pursuing law. When it comes to experience, I have all the boxes ticked," Edwards claimed. "What better candidate do you want? Are you going to stick with the old? I am the civil society candidate, the youth candidate and the candidate representing progress."

He vowed that his party would not engage in the bacchanal and picong that have characterised elections of the past. Instead, he would be running in this election with full respect.

The UNC candidate said he felt blessed to be part of the process and has been interacting with constituents. The feedback, Sobers said, has been extremely positive.

Sobers said, "I wish the candidates all the best, but on August 10 we are confident San Fernando West will come back home to the UNC."

On Sunday, he will play in a football match titled Street Jam at Naparima College ground. SFW Allstars, a team of constituents, will be playing against a team including TT cricket players such as Dwayne and Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard.

"It will be an annual event when we are successful.　It is free to the public. We will provide free masks and ensure people are spaced out. We will adhere to all protocols."

Leader of the National Party Valmiki Ramsingh said campaigning has not been easy as people abuse, cuss and insult candidates. Yet he has been receiving support and his walkabouts have been extremely encouraging, Ramsingh said.

A microbiologist and veteran leader of the J’Ouvert band D Blue Boys, he formed the party in August 2017. He was campaign manager for Kama Maharaj in 1995 after returning from Canada, where he lived for 22 years.

"I got my feet wet very early. I had enough of having to answer for their (politicians') laziness and...their abject indifference to people, so I decided to do this."

The nomination process went well but some things need to be corrected, Ramsingh said.

"Yesterday I asked for a handout of what is needed. They did not have any. Today they told me I need a letter from the party (to say) that I have been authorised to run. So I wrote one right there."

Initially, the party planned on having three candidates to contest seats, one at Moruga/Tableland and the other at Pointe-a-Pierre, but owing to financial woes, only Ramsingh is running.

D Blue Boys, formed in 1982, won J'Ouvert band of the year for 25 consecutive years.

But authentic J'Ouvert in San Fernando has gone "to the dust" because certain mayors have allowed it for monetary gains, Ramsingh said.

"TT government has given out $800 million in Carnival money in the last five years. San Fernando did not even get $4 million in total in the past five years.

"We have so many things wrong in San Fernando we don’t know where to start."

Benison Jaggessar of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) was the first to file his papers.

Jaggessar arrived alone. A candidate could come with 100 supporters and fail the whole interview, he said.

"The paraphernalia is fine, but PEP is not about paraphernalia, music and dancing on the street, it's about real solutions."